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Advertising is an essential component of a solid marketing strategy, and since marketing is about building trust, you should give advertising the same consideration. And sure, you already invest in digital ads, but are you still advertising in newspapers and magazines, and is print advertising still viable for real estate?
Global Ad Spending Statistics
According to Statista, this year, the worldwide ad spending in the Print Advertising segment is projected to reach US$50.38bn globally, and most ad spending will be generated in the United States (US$12.37bn).
Interestingly, also per Statista, the largest print advertising revenue comes from newspapers, with a global market volume of US$35.59bn in 2022. However, the newspaper advertising space revenue in the USA has not surpassed US$15bn since 2015.
But while newspapers lose readers and ad revenue, magazines gain readers. In 2020, there were 221.9 million magazine readers aged 18 or older in the USA, a decline of six million readers compared to 2019, mainly due to the lockdowns imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following infographic from Finances Oline offers other insights and numbers to review:
Print ads are trustworthy and memorable.
While it is true that print ads are more memorable than digital ads, the latest statistics regarding their efficacy are from 2017. Back then, MarketingSherpa reported that four out of five Americans (82%) trust print ads (newspapers, magazines), while 80% trust TV ads. Five years later, we cannot count on the same numbers in a rapidly changing digital era. In addition, Nielsen doesn't even include newspapers and magazines in The Nielsen Total Audience Report: Advertising Across Today's Media in 2020.
The Nielsen Total Audience Report: Advertising Across Today's Media does not include print advertising.
Some sources predict that the print media is declining; however, the "Print Media Global Market Report 2022" by Reportlinker.com shows other figures: the global print media market is expected to grow from US$305.44bn in 2021 to US$320.07bn in 2022, and US$366.73bn by 2026. Do note that these predictions refer to the print media as a whole, including books, periodicals, calendars, greeting cards, maps, brochures, flyers, etc.
The largest advertising sector globally is digital, with a US$455bn total ad spending in 2021 and expected to surpass US$645bn in 2024. In addition, TV and radio will grow to US$177bn by 2024 from US$160bn in 2021.
Historically, TV ads were always outrageously expensive, and it makes more sense to spend on digital video ads than on TV clips. However, radio is the only traditional media that will grow in 2024, bouncing back from a decline caused by the pandemic in 2020. Statista predicts a global ad spend on radio ads of around US$30bn in 2024.
Meanwhile, print remains the most underutilized advertising medium, with newspaper advertising expected to drop to US$25.8bn by 2024 from US29.5bn in 2021 and magazine ads to US$15bn in 2024 from US$17bn in 2021, respectively.
Does Print Advertising Make Sense When Local Newspapers Are Vanishing?
However, statistics only show how much advertisers are willing to invest in every medium. Of course, digital ads will draw more ad spend and revenue because they are cheaper and have a broader reach. And while print advertising is the only form of traditional media in severe decline, its value for real estate remains because of the nature of this business: addressing local homebuyers.
However, here's the fine print: local newspapers are dying:
"Over the past 15 years, the United States has lost 2,100 newspapers, leaving at least 1,800 communities that had a local news outlet in 2004 without any at the beginning of 2020," reported Penelope Muse Abernathy, Knight Chair in Journalism and Digital Media Economics at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media. "Half of newspaper readers and journalists have also vanished over the past 15 years. Many of the country's 6,700 surviving papers have become "ghost newspapers" – mere shells of their former selves, with greatly diminished newsrooms and readership. The loss of both journalists and circulation speaks to the declining influence of local newspapers and raises questions about their long-term financial viability in a digital era," she added.
The News Landscape in 2020: Transformed and Diminished
If local newspapers have not closed their doors because of the pandemic in the area where you practice your real estate business, investing in print ads makes sense.
Still, consider that as of February 2022, only 12% of Americans used newspapers as a daily source of information. Can you assess how many people read the local newspaper? Also, with a lot of information online, many people now access news on the go, on smartphones or tablets.
In this landscape, it does not matter that print materials require 21% less cognitive effort to process because they stimulate both sight and touch - a statistic derived from a 2009 Millward Brown neuroscience study. What matters is that there's nothing to touch anymore.
Print advertising never ceased to matter for real estate. Ideally, a smart advertising strategy in this sector should include digital and print ads in a local newspaper (or magazine) - if your local newspaper is still in circulation. However, it would be best to consider lowering your budget for print advertisements in newspapers and magazines and investing more in print marketing. So, invest in brochures and flyers, business cards, and billboards if you must have something in print.


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Post Malone is the Rockstar of Postmates!
According to TMZ, the rapper has spent more than $40,000 over the past year on delivery, making him the company’s most dedicated customer!
Video: Post BARELY Goes Undercover To Prank People At A Record Store!
In fact, the musician — who will appear in a Postmates series called The Receipt — has ordered nearly 3,000 items on more than 660 deliveries spanning 52 cities nationwide!
What does he order? The 23-year-old enjoys fast food — places like Burger King, KFC, Panda Express, and Popeyes — as well as beer, champagne, and Pedialyte. Reportedly, he once asked Chick-fil-A for their largest tray of nuggets, and asked Target for their most expensive chess board!
Source: Read Full Article

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Genting has filed for bankruptcy in Malaysia, which means the company’s cruise ships and other assets will be up for grabs. There are a number of possible buyers, from Time Inc to Royal Caribbean International Ltd., but no clear answer yet on how it may affect passengers who’ve been waiting months – or longer – to book their vacations.
Crystal Cruises, which is the cruise brand of Genting Malaysia, filed for bankruptcy on March 27th. This means that all of the company’s assets are now up for sale. Crystal has a wide range of cruise brands in different parts of the world and it remains to be seen what will happen to them next. Read more in detail here: crystal cruises.
The parent firm of Asia’s largest cruise line has filed a request with the Bermuda Supreme Court to shut its operations. Genting Hong Kong, which owns Star Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Dream Cruises, and the German shipyard MV Werften, claims financial reserves are running low and will run out by the end of January.
Genting has just announced that it will default on $2.8 billion in financing arrangements, owing to the collapse of its German shipbuilding company MV Werften. As funding runs out, some cruise lines may be forced to close their doors, with the corporation warning that most operations may cease to exist.
Genting’s Debts are Unpayable
On Tuesday, Genting filed a business closure or winding-up petition with the Bermuda Supreme Court. It also urged the courts to appoint liquidators and suggest reorganization strategies for the ailing corporation.
This might include the sale of assets such as Crystal Trips, Dream Cruises’ giant cruise ships, Star Cruises, which is renowned for its popular short cruises from Hong Kong with massive casinos, and MV Werften, where Dream Cruises’ newest 9,500-passenger Global Dream is under construction.
Due to a shortage of cash reserves, Genting Hong Kong is projected to fail on its loan obligations, and the firm has been unable to get fresh capital. The overwhelming bulk of activities would be halted if the Bermuda Supreme Court approves a windup. However, the company also declared that certain Dream Cruises operations will continue:
“In order to preserve and protect the core assets and maintain the value of the group, certain business activities of the group, including but not limited to the operations of cruise lines by Dream Cruises Holding Limited, shall continue; however, it is anticipated that the majority of the group’s existing operations will cease to operate.”
Dream Cruises provided the rendering.
Genting Hong’s problems began earlier this month. Genting had been aggressively seeking funds to finish the building of its newest ship due to the effect of COVID-19. MV Werften has been working on the 9,500-passenger Global Dream. The German federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern suspended the sale after Genting obtained an agreement for $88 million in backup money.
“The Company and the Group have no access to any additional liquidity under any of the Group’s loan arrangements,” Genting stated on Wednesday. “According to the Company’s cashflow predictions, the Company’s available cash balances are projected to run out on or around the end of January 2022.”
What Can Crystal, Dream, and Star Cruises Expect in the Future?
The future of Genting Hong Kong’s three cruise lines is, to put it mildly, questionable. Although the corporation said that certain assets will remain operational, it is unclear which ones.
Photo credit: Shutterstock.com/Vytautas Kielaitis
The information is hardly surprising. Crystal Cruises published a statement in August 2020, addressing worries about Genting’s financial situation:
“Genting Hong Kong is undergoing a financial reorganization and fundraising exercise to address cash challenges that have arisen as a consequence of its ships’ inability to operate due to COVID-19. It’s critical to realize that the firm is not going out of business.”
“Whatever alternative our parent company chooses, Crystal will be able to do its operations.” Furthermore, we have always been dedicated to upholding our contractual commitments to guests and travel partners, including refund processing.”
The condition of Genting Hong Kong was considerably better at the time than it is today. With liquidators and a corporate wind-down, the futures of the three cruise lines, as well as a slew of resorts and casinos throughout the globe, are in jeopardy.
Genting Hong Kong is a casino, resort, and cruise company owned by Malaysian billionaire Lim Kok Thay. Lim Kok Thay’s family owns 75.5 percent of Genting Hong Kong and 43 percent of Genting Bhd in Malaysia.
Genting filed for bankruptcy today, which means the company’s assets will be liquidated. What does this mean for its cruise brands? Reference: dream cruises.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does cruising have a future?
A: No, its not.
Will cruises ever start up again?
A: I dont know.
Does Genting own Crystal Cruises?
A: Yes, Genting owns Crystal Cruises.
- genting hong kong
- genting dream cruise
- crystal cruises news
- genting hong kong cruise
- genting hong kong news


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Technically Incorrect: "Don't be a trooper," warns a British weather presenter in a perfectly scripted forecast.
Scion, Toyota's so-called "youth brand" is being shuttered, but many of its models will live to sell another day, albeit with Toyota badging. Here's why that's probably great for sales.
Scientists have spied clouds on a far-off planetoid, where the weather calls for a really rugged umbrella.
A glut of inventory, Microsoft's offer for free upgrades to Windows 10 and an overall stagnant market combine for a projected decline in sales.
The tech giant continued to benefit from booming iPhone sales during the June period, but it didn't sell as many as analysts had expected.
Maybe this is why GTA V's single-player DLC isn't here yet.
Technically Incorrect: It's Groundhog Day and America's favorite nonscientist makes his weather "prediction" for the year. In it, he refers to hoverboards. Really.
The company had previously said it would lose $1.4 billion in its fiscal year ended March 31, but it has now revised that number down to 126 billion yen.
You've not seen a weather forecast like this.
More layoffs announced for mobile division, seen by Sony leadership as a key to the company's turnaround efforts.


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One more year, and on the first week of March 2019, the German capital hosted the largest European tourism fair. Ray Alabern, Stephen McIntosh, Astrid Kastberg and Joseph Boadella attended this event on behalf of Juniper, one of the exhibitors at this global, tourism-technology forum.
As in previous editions, Juniper attended the ITB through Travel Tech From Spain, a space generated by the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade (ICEX) for the promotion of Spanish, technology companies, leading the international market.
This global event gathers travel-industry professionals from all over the world, especially from markets as prominent as Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Once again, the ITB has shown that the demand for technology is constantly increasing and that, undoubtedly, it is the key to the future of the tourism industry.


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The Tennessee Titans have hired new staff, brought in new players and mounted a major marketing push. It's all in hopes of reviving interest in — what is supposed to be — Nashville's favorite football team.
The question is - is it working?
You may have noticed Titans popping up all over town this year. Marcus Mariota showing up at Predators' playoff games. Other franchise faces hosting community events and showing up at concerts.
It recalls the early days of the Tennessee Oilers when Eddie George would be signing autographs at the Cool Springs mall or Steve McNair would show up at a random Kroger. After that team turned into the Titans and started winning, the marketing surge slowed.
Titans Senior Vice President Stuart Spears says the team’s new leadership knows that after years of losing, they have to do more to fire up the fans.
"We came into this year with a knowledge and an understanding that we needed to be more aggressive than we have in the past," Spears says. "There's a realization throughout the organization that there's a lot of work to be done."
He says that work has started to pay off. Season ticket sales are up, though none of their games for this fall have sold out yet.
Officially the Titans have reported selling out every game at Nissan Stadium since 1999. But last year the team admitted to inflating attendance numbers to avoid local TV blackouts.
Since then, the organization has made changes to their ticketing operations and Spears says they are confident "that won't happen again."


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On July 13, Keidanren USA hosted Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) Chairman Kazuyuki Sugimoto for a roundtable event with member company DC representatives. Chairman Sugimoto was visiting Washington DC for bilateral meetings with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice. Chairman Sugimoto gave an overview of the international development and reach of competition law, and compliance efforts among Japanese companies. In the Q&A discussion that followed, member companies engaged on such issues as competition issues in trade, leniency programs, and competition in the digital economy.
July 13, 2016


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Brutal Doom released earlier this year and was a more gory take on the classic Doom. Modders are currently hard at work to make sure this game is as brutal as it can be.
Brutal Doom will soon get an update that adds “detailed destroyable bodies and gib physics,” the update will roll out with Brutal Doom Version 20, but there isn’t a release date announced for it yet.
The footage you see above shows how things will be like after the update is applied to the game. It looks absolutely brutal and oddly satisfying.
Speaking of Doom, Bethesda announced a brand new installment back at E3. The game looks absolutely amazing so far and we can’t wait to play it.
DOOM returns as a brutally fun and challenging modern-day shooter experience. Relentless demons, impossibly destructive guns, and fast, fluid movement provide the foundation for intense, first-person combat – whether you’re obliterating demon hordes through the depths of Hell in the single-player campaign, or competing against your friends in numerous multiplayer modes.
Doom is expected to release sometime in Spring 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. For more on Doom, stay-tuned!


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Sales of light cars have increased 11.0 per cent so far this year to 36,578, making it one of only two passenger segments not to lose ground compared with 2014 (the other is the medium segment, which is up 6.0 per cent).
In recent times, the light car segment has been overlooked by many buyers, falling awkwardly between the sub-$15,000 micro class and the dominant $20,000-plus segment controlled by the likes of the Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3 and Hyundai i30.
But the arrival of a host of all-new and significantly updated models over the past 12 months has given new life to the underperforming light car segment, and has undoubtedly pulled buyers up out of micro cars (down 42.2 per cent) and down from small cars (down 7.9 per cent) in the early months of 2015.
Leading the way is the new-generation Mazda 2 that arrived in November, sales of which are up 5.3 per cent to 4975. The baby Mazda is building momentum too, with sales up 15.2 per cent last month to 926 units.
Ranking a close second is the Toyota Yaris, which was heavily upgraded in September. Sales are up 17.0 per cent this year to 4853, and it was the segment’s top seller in April, recording 966 registrations.
Filling the final step on the podium but losing ground is the ageing Hyundai i20, which is down 7 .0per cent this year to 4180. Sales were down 43.8 per cent in April as buyers clearly looked to newer and more appealing offerings.
Despite also now showing its age, the Suzuki Swift has enjoyed a resurgence in the early months of this year, rising 63.7 per cent to 3812 units to the end of April.
Honda’s new-generation light cars have also delivered that brand a much needed boost this year. The Jazz, released in July, currently ranks fifth this year, with sales almost doubling to 2934. And while less impressive in terms of raw numbers, sales of the City sedan, which launched two months earlier, have almost tripled in 2015 to 871 units.
The City’s key rival, the Mitsubishi Mirage sedan, trails with 515 sales, though it’s performing better than expected, accounting for a third of total Mirage sales this year.
One of the biggest movers in the segment has been the Volkswagen Polo, which arrived with sharper prices and higher equipment levels in August, and was topped off with the updated Polo GTI last month. Polo sales are up 38.7 per cent this year to 2858, and almost doubled last month to 829 to give it a rare podium finish.
A number of other big names have failed to fire this year, however. Ford Fiesta sales are down 25.3 per cent to 1793, leaving it trailing the Holden Barina, which itself has dropped 8.5 per cent to 2115.
The Kia Rio, refreshed in January, hasn’t caught on with buyers either, falling 28.5 per cent to 1823. The Toyota Prius C, which arrived a month later, is also lagging 25.0 per cent behind last year’s numbers at 438 sales.
The Mini Cooper (including three-door, 5 Door and Clubman variants) has claimed a 45.0 per cent share of the premium end of the light segment so far this year. Buoyed by the arrival of the 5 Door in October, sales have increased 132.0 per cent to 826.
It’s so far easily outgunning the Audi A1, which is down 23.0 per cent at 549.
The only other significant player in the premium segment, the Peugeot 208, is up 9.9 per cent to 311 units.


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Fitnesswear brand Lululemon has revealed it will be launching a new platform dedicated to providing members with fitness content and products.
Launching October 5, ‘Lululemon Studio’ will be accessible through an app, in-person experiences and via the brand’s Studio Mirror product, which already offers on demand and live-streamed classes through a subscription service.
Members will have access to content from a range of partnered fitness studios that will offer live streamed weekly classes and discounted in-person classes at their own locations.
“We see Lululemon Studio as being the daily go-to destination for experiencing the most dynamic content from the industry’s top trainers and studios, covering a range of fitness genres for all levels,” said Michael Aragon, chief executive officer of Lululemon Digital Fitness, in a release.
Alongside the platform’s release, Lululemon will also be launching a membership programme which will unlock shopping perks, community experiences and free select Lululemon Studio classes.
Each of the new offers builds on the brand’s Mirror platform, which it dropped through its interactive mirror product following the acquisition of the company in 2020.
The addition sees the brand grow its partnerships and expand on already existing relationships with various fitness studios, while aiming to offer members a fuller experience.


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Digital and cryptocurrency payments adoption is booming, even if that might not seem immediately obvious. However, businesses that have started accepting cryptocurrency payments have already started reporting great interest in these new payment methods.
One example is AMC Theatres, whose CEO, Adam Aron, recently revealed just how much the company’s customers started relying on digital payments.
AMC Theaters notes a major rise in digital payments
According to Aron, as much as 35% of online payments are currently being made using cryptocurrencies, as well as several other digital payment methods. This popular cinema chain has been adding different crypto adoption plays after adding support for several digital coins in November 2021.
For now, supported cryptos include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and Shiba Inu. The first four cryptos were supported in November, while the two memecoins were added in April 2022.
Payments using cryptocurrencies can be made very easily by using AMC Theatres’ mobile application, and, based on the CEO’s report, users did not pass the opportunity to try it out.
Yesterday, May 9th, Aron spoke about the company’s 2022 Q1 performance during an earnings call, and he emphasized that the company’s decision to move into the crypto industry has been met with a lot of “fanfare,” as he called it. In addition to that, it opened up multiple payment rails that were previously explored.
Thanks to the company’s decision to adopt cryptocurrencies, it needed to integrate certain IT programming that also allowed AMC Theaters to open its doors to PayPal, Bitpay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and even Venmo, among other payment methods. The company’s customers immediately started adopting these methods for their speed, ease of use, and other benefits, including lower transaction cost, when it comes to crypto coins. As a result, one-third of all recent payments ended up coming through these payment methods.
AMC moves into the NFT sector
Aron also commented on the company’s NFT initiatives, noting that there are eight different programs planned for the time being. Some have already been launched, while others are still in the works, and expected to arrive later this year. He noted that this technology already made an impact when it comes to helping AMC stimulate the sales of movie tickets.
For example, when Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: No Way Home came out in November, the company included as many as 86,000 non-fungible token-based tickets for the members of its AMC Stubs Premiere & A-List, as well as AMC Investor Connect subscribers.
AMC Theatres’ performance in Q1 2022
Finally, when it comes to the Q1 report itself. AMC reported that there was a very strong year-over-year improvement, meaning that Q1 has seen noticeably greater earnings for the firm than the same quarter in 2021. The reason behind this is that the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on the world has finally started to drop.
As lockdowns are ending and things are slowly returning back to normal, AMC recorded a 429.8% revenue growth, which led it to $785.7 million in Q1, as opposed to $148.3 million during the same period last year.
Lastly, the company recorded a decreased net loss, which went down by as much as 40%, roughly, compared to the first quarter of 2021. Back then, the net loss was $567.2 million, while this year, it dropped to $337.4 million.


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The availability of retail space in prime locations continues to tighten, with some prime shopping centre schemes operating at 90-100% capacity and just 2.6% high street vacancy in Dublin city centre. Demand from overseas retailers remains strong as they continue to look to expand their operations in Ireland, but they are mostly focused on prime locations. In the last 3 months, we have seen evidence of demand broadening, with the location and sector type for lettings more mixed this quarter. There have been a number of high street, shopping centre and retail park deals signed in Q3. The interest in prime retail warehouse parks has picked up in response to people spending more again on their homes.
Hannah Dwyer, Head of Research at JLL said that „There has been no real change in the retail market in the last 3 months, with similar key trends to last quarter. The market continues to show stability, particularly in prime locations, with steady demand from occupiers, decreasing vacancies and positivity in turnover results“.
Hannah also added that, „The outlook for the final quarter of 2014 and for next year remains positive. Signs of stability in the retail park market have broadened the sector’s recovery, with high streets, shopping centres and retail parks now performing much more steadily than 12 months ago. Although there has been minimum rental growth this year, prime rents are expected to increase in the short-term as supply pressures continue to tighten on high streets and in schemes“.
The recovery remains most evident for prime, with some secondary and tertiary schemes and units struggling around the country. Positive news stories for the economy around GDP and employment have boosted confidence, with improvements in sentiment and retail sales volumes positively impacting turnover results for some retailers. This is expected to continue into 2015 as key economic indicators are forecast further growth.
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IBM is making 500 of its patents available for free to people doing open source projects. Rock on!
From the New York Times:
I.B.M. executives say the company’s new approach to intellectual property represents more than a rethinking of where the company’s self-interest lies. In recent speeches, for example, Samuel J. Palmisano, I.B.M.’s chief executive, has emphasized the need for more open technology standards and collaboration as a way to stimulate economic growth and job creation.
Imagine a big company like IBM actually “getting it.” Almost gives you hope regarding the future of intellectual property (that is, until you read anything about Microsoft or SCO or Disney or just about every other company in the world). Sigh…


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While you went to sleep on Halloween night, Walt Disney World employees were busy transforming the Park into a magical holiday season paradise. In just a matter of hours, they took down the pumpkins and spooky decorations, and put up Christmas trees and plenty of red.
Holiday events will roll out in the park throughout November and December. Epcot’s International Festival of the Holidays takes place Nov. 18 to Dec. 30, and the Candlelight Processional's 50-piece orchestra and choir will be performing from Nov. 22 to Dec. 30.
More From House Beautiful
One Disney World goer said that not all of the holiday decorations are up yet, but there is holiday music playing, so it’s certainly feeling festive. We’ll be keeping our eye out for more decorations in the park, as well as new themed treats that are sure to come!
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.


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UK’s physical games market has surged to its biggest April in five years, selling more than one million copies, according to a report from gamesindustry.biz, with data coming from German market research company GfK.
The UK’s boxed games market, including accessories and consoles, recorded more than $150 million for retailers last month. The best-selling physical game released was the Final Fantasy VII: Remake, the highly-anticipated makeover of the classic FFVII.
April still experienced a 13 percent drop from March, which was boosted by the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which quickly became a worldwide phenomenon and one of the best-selling games of the year.
Related: League of Legends fan designs every LCS team hoodie in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Nintendo still retained its crown as the top-selling games publisher thanks their products’ longevity and friendliness to all sorts of gamers, accounting for 21.5 percent of physical games sold in April.
For example, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a three-year-old game, is the eighth-best-selling game in April, beating out new releases like Resident Evil 3.
Here’s a list of the top 20 physical games releases in the UK for the month of April.
April UK GfK Physical Top 20
|1||Final Fantast VII: Remake|
|2||Call of Duty: Modern Warfare|
|4||Animal Crossing: New Horizons|
|5||Resident Evil 3|
|6||Forza Horizon 4|
|7||Grand Theft Auto 5|
|8||Mario Kart 8: Deluxe|
|9||Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order|
|10||Persona 5 Royal|
|11||Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy|
|12||Luigi’s Mansion 3|
|13||Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled|
|14||Red Dead Redemption 2|
|15||Ring Fit Adventure|
|16||The Last of Us: Remastered|
|17||Spyro Reignited Trilogy|
|19||Just Dance 2020|
|20||New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe|


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Okay, sexy tune alert! Prior to the release of her debut album, Teyana Taylor delivers the hot baby-making jam ‘Do Not Disturb’ featuring Chris Brown.
BBC Radio 1’s Mistajam has up with French footwear brand Palladium. The collaboration is in aid of the AW14 Palladium Boots Explorer Series.
Our favourite Geordie’s Ant and Dec are taking over from James Corden and presenting next year’s Brit Awards.
Croatia has a new festival to sit alongside the likes of Hideout. Introducing ‘Croatia Rocks’, taking place next July.
Getting makeup tips from a top celebrity makeup artist from the comfort of your own bedroom? Sounds good to us.


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While 2017 was the heyday for the entire crypto industry, in 2018 things turned a little darker.
Falling prices, fears around crypto regulation, lackluster institutional interest, and concerns over the ICO funding model which had run rampant in the previous year, all combined into the perfect storm of crypto doom and gloom.
While much focus is placed on token prices as a barometer of the heath of crypto, a new industry analysis has found the number of blockchain startups in the sector declined precipitously last year.
Novum Insights—which monitors around 9,000 companies in the blockchain and crypto sectors by tracking token trading as well as “signs of life” activity on websites, social accounts and GitHub pages—found over 1,811 companies, or 20% of its sample, stopped showing any such signs in 2018, and many simply vanished entirely.
Reasons for the failures identified by Novum range from outright scams and Ponzi schemes where project creators simply vanished, to the more mundane business reasons of poor capital management, business model failures and shifting regulations.
“A large number of companies were shut down in 2018 after India and China’s announcements of considering cryptocurrencies illegal on their soil,” added Novum’s CEO and founder Toby Lewis.
The failures in Novum’s sample also affected some verticals more than others, with failures affecting more than 30% of crypto companies working in the manufacturing sector, and more than 20% of companies in the entertainment, logistics and agriculture sectors.
The most promising vertical for crypto and blockchain in 2018 was education and academia where slightly over 10% of companies failed.
Despite the downturn, a total of 1,065 new ICOs raised about $21 billion for crypto and blockchain startups last year, although this figure was skewed towards Q1 and Q2 when crypto prices were between 80% and 90% higher.
Novum’s sample of crypto companies—which isn’t necessarily representative of the wider sector—suggests a contraction of business activity in the blockchain and crypto sectors during 2018, given the high level of failures and lower numbers of companies raising capital.
Time will tell if 2019 shows any better signs of life.
-Oliver Smith Forbes Staff


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Venture research group Morningstar said Walmart saw its stock tumble around 30 percent in 2015, making it the organization’s most noticeably worse year since 1974. The organization lost almost $80 billion in market share value in 2015, with their most exceedingly terrible day being Oct. 14, 2015, when shares tumbled 10 percent or 6.70 points. Online giant Amazon.com has been wearing down Walmart, constraining the organization to contribute as much as $1.1 billion to reinforce e-trade income and development in deals. Financial specialists stay worried that Wal-Mart should keep investing bigger and bigger sums of cash to create the same level of sales growth.
Walmart stock was down 28.3% this year which was more prominent than Target Corporation’s (NYSE: TGT) decay of 1.94% in the same time allotment. As of now the stock is floating close to its 52-week low of $56.3, slacking the S&P 500 file, which is up 1%.
As indicated by experts at Morningstar, Walmart’s reasonable quality appraisal remains at $75 per offer. Despite what might be expected, the organization’s stock is exchanging at a 20% rebate on its inherent assessed esteem, which makes the stock an appealing wager.


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It’s no secret that the experience of building a digital movie collection has been pretty terrible up until now. There have been so many competing companies involved that the average consumer has ended up with multiple movies spread across many different incompatible services. It has been confusing and inconvenient, to say the least. This week Hollywood seems to be finally taking a step toward fixing this with Movies Anywhere, a joint venture spearheaded by Disney and supported by four other major studios in addition to four digital retailers (Amazon Video, Google Play, iTunes and Vudu). Karin Gilford, General Manager, had this to say about the launch of Movies Anywhere:
“Movies Anywhere is a massive step forward for the consumer digital media experience, bringing the incredible film libraries of five studios together in a virtual one-stop movie-watching shop… Movies Anywhere means that consumers never have to remember where they purchased a film or which device they can watch it on, because all of their eligible movies will be centralized within their Movies Anywhere library and available across platforms through the Movies Anywhere app and website and also available at their connected digital retailers. And as Movies Anywhere continues to add more studios, retailers and platforms, the entertainment possibilities are endless.”
You heard that right. If you decide to sign up and link your various accounts with Movies Anywhere, all of your movies will be available on Amazon Video, Google Play, iTunes and Vudu as well as the Movies Anywhere app (assuming it currently exists in their library). This is essentially what Ultraviolet should have been. The service is launching with 7300 titles and it currently includes movies from Sony, Disney, Fox, Universal and Warner Brothers but Paramount and Lionsgate are not yet a part of the initiative. The service is based on Disney’s KeyChest technology and movies can be streamed or downloaded for offline playback. Obviously it is still too early to tell if this will be embraced by consumers, but it seems like a step in the right direction. You can sign up now over at moviesanywhere.com and get some free movies out of the deal as well. Does this sound like the digital movie solution you’ve been looking for?


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Melville-based Sbarro’s board of directors has named a new chief executive and a new chairman, as the Italian fast food chain emerges from bankruptcy.
James Greco, 54, has been named president and CEO, effective immediately, according to a company statement.
Greco was formerly CEO of Bruegger’s Enterprises, a national bagel bakery chain. He partnered with Sun Capital to acquire Bruegger’s in 2003 and served as CEO until the company was acquired by Groupe Le Duff SA, a leading French operator of bakery-cafes, in 2011.
J. David Karam, 53, former president of Wendy’s International, has agreed to serve as Sbarro’s new chairman. Prior to joining Wendy’s in 2008, Karam was president of Cedar Enterprises, a Wendy’s franchisee, operating 150 Wendy’s restaurants in Indianapolis, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Hartford and Seattle.
Sbarro also appointed two directors to its board: Desmond Hague, CEO of Centerplate, and David Wiggins, a turnaround expert.
Sbarro is emerging from its Chapter 11 reorganization with significantly less debt and substantial liquidity to invest in future growth, according to the statement. The chain has more than 1,000 restaurants in more than 40 countries.
More breaking news
- Federal agents charged with stealing digital currency
- Lincoln’s Continental poised for comeback
- Lakeland inks $1.3M line of credit
- Nathan’s stock drops $25 after dividend
- Q&A: Kevin O’Connor, Banking
- Agape World brokers’ defense: Cosmo fooled us, too
- P&F taxes up, income down
- Vasomedical sales, income soar
- Business forecasters boost 2-year outlook for US economy
- GNC reaches deal with NY AG over Herbal Plus products


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A slippery customer will help a Leeds charity shop to scare up new business as they challenge people to face their biggest fears.
Lady J, a magnificent Brazilian Rainbow Boa, will be one of a host of terrifying visitors to The Sue Ryder shop in Headingley later this month.
Staff at the shop have decided to hold the event to help fund assistant manager Felicity Parsons’ charity trek through darkest Peru.
She told the YEP: “I have loved snakes for as long as I can remember and was given my snake Lady J, a Brazilian Rainbow Boa, a few years ago for Christmas.
“In May 2013 I will be embarking on the challenge of trekking the Inca Trail in Peru for Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice.
“Most people are afraid of travelling due to all the creepy crawlies living in tropical countries, but I can’t wait to explore Peru and view all the local wildlife”.
As well as snakes, the Face Your Fears event, which will be held on Sunday, September 30, is set to include spiders, cockroaches, clowns, dogs, dentists and dolls- all in a bid to help people conquer their phobias.
Georgina Abbott, running and challenge fundraiser for Sue Ryder said: “Facing your fears isn’t easy, but this event will allow participants to have fun and get involved in a safe environment. It’s fantastic Felicity is trekking the Inca Trail in Peru, which now has a limited number of tourist entries available so we are pleased to be able to offer places on this adventurous trek.”
Tickets for the event are priced at £5 and can be bought from the Sue Ryder shop in Headingley.
The event will start at 11am on Sunday, September 30.
For more information, follow @SRHeadingley on twitter for updates about the event.
Or for further details about the Face Your Fears event and the Inca trail trek contact firstname.lastname@example.org.
Founded in 1953 Sue Ryder supports people with complex needs and life-threatening illnesses across the UK.
The national charity supports people living with conditions including cancer, multiple sclerosis, dementia and stroke. Their bases include the Wheatfields Hospice based in Leeds.
To find out more about challenge events visit: www.sueryder.org or contact your local fundraising team on (0113) 2033376.


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When it comes to social media, Facebook is the de facto authority of the industry. With a staggering amount of monthly active users exceeding 1.5 billion, it is the most visited social media portal among all age demos. In terms of numbers, that amounts to one out of six minutes online via desktop spent on the site and one out of five minutes while on mobile devices. That is a dominance that no other social media site has been able to come close to duplicating. The real question that these numbers bring to mind is, “What are users looking at while on Facebook?”
Those familiar with the Facebook environment know that the first thing you see when logging in is your news feed. This is basically a content aggregator that shows the user posts, friend activity, FB live videos and other content from friends, family and often times companies like you. Other than some minor user tweaks in the preferences section, users have little control over prioritization of content.
To put it in simpler terms: Facebook decides what is important and what you see in your newsfeed.
How Is Content Prioritized?
The Facebook algorithm is a formula; one that in the past has been highly enigmatic and secretive in detail that determines what shows up in a user’s newsfeed. This means Facebook literally shapes your social media experience on their site solely from this algorithm. That is a lot of power and with great power comes great responsibility.
While Facebook has always been primarily a social site for friends and family to connect, the rising power of social media in advertising has flooded Facebook with targeted ads, “click bait” and other content in news feeds unrelated to a user’s social circles. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has acknowledged this trend and wants to bring back the original vision of the site by decreasing the amount of random content users see in their feed.
On January 11, 2018, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would be rolling out a new algorithm to make content from “friends, family and groups” a priority over posts from media outlets, brands and businesses. Zuckerberg claims that the move is to spur meaningful engagement between friends and family and the common interests they share. Citing a responsibility to make sure Facebook is not just fun to use but also good for one’s well-being as justification for the change, He admits this will pose challenges for businesses seeking user’s attention through Facebook.
In other words, if you want to reach your customers on Facebook, you’re going to have to work harder at it; but it is not impossible if you implement the right strategies in your social media arsenal.
Fortunately, Facebook has become a bit less secretive with their algorithm but that doesn’t mean their cards aren’t still close to their chest. While not revealing exactly what the news feed parameters will be, Facebook’s focus is on “meaningful interactions”. That’s a nice catchphrase, but what exactly does “meaningful interactions” mean? The answer is quite simply…
Comments, Comments, Comments
In announcing the change, Zuckerberg essentially wants users to see content that spurs a reaction, as in a comment. Thus, a post from a business that garners very low comments or none at all will see much less distribution than a post that spurs conversation among social circles. The bottom line is: the more comments a post gets the higher its distribution; but what makes people comment on posts?
Let’s Give Them Something To Talk About
For the most part humans are social creatures; we like to engage with people and we also like to express our opinions or emotions about things that we can relate to. This is why a post about playful puppies can get thousands of comments, while a post about a company’s new product may only get a handful. Almost everyone loves puppies, so the engagement scope of that content is much wider.
What this means for businesses is that your content needs to promote interaction between users viewing it. Post content with trending subjects that users have opinions on and weave your company message into those posts.
For example, if you are a home automation distributor, you would write a post about rising energy costs and tie in the energy efficiency of home automation. You’ll need to fine tune your content to get the message across but the point is, the more users commenting on your content, the more users that will see it. But there is a caveat…
Don’t Spam For Attention
Some companies are already trying to work around the new algorithm by blatantly asking their followers to comment on a post just to comment. Or they may say something like “Comment on this post if you want lower taxes.” Anything along those lines is not only counter-productive, as Facebook demotes those posts, but it also makes your company look desperate and that speaks volumes. Don’t do it. Simply work harder by getting in tune with your audience’s needs, wants and interests and you will capture their attention. If you really want to master Facebook marketing, then make Facebook Live work for you.
As mentioned in our last blog, the importance of Facebook Live to your survival on this platform cannot be stressed enough. Video will soon account for over 80% of web traffic across all devices with live streaming video leading the way.
By making Facebook Live an important tenet of your content strategy, you give a real-time interactive content source for your audience that engages in a very personal way. Viewers love to see unedited, on-the-fly video because it makes it seem less manufactured and more real. It lends to some sense of honesty and confidence in your brand to go live.
Facebook’s new algorithm is going to show more favor to FB live videos just due to their interactive nature. Viewers comment live on what they see and comments are time stamped so you also get the benefit of knowing what parts of the stream are generating a reaction. It’s marketing gold to get focus group-like analysis, a live video coverage and real-time audience reaction essentially for no cost at all. Facebook live is the future, the audience is here now; so where will your company be?
The popularity of Facebook Groups taps into the basic psyche of the human condition — the need for acceptance and sharing common bonds. This is a powerful tool for bringing your audience together to advance your company’s exposure and prominence on the Facebook platform. When you create a group and invite your audience to join that group, you are setting the stage for conversation and interaction to breakout at any moment. Adding relevant, engaging posts to the group page has a much higher chance of spurring conversation because users have joined based on the interests of the group.
The Benefits Of Facebook Groups For Business
Having a page for your business on Facebook is of course an integral part of your Facebook campaign; but you need a Facebook Group for your business as well to really interact with your audience. There are many benefits of Facebook Groups:
If you don’t already have a group set up for your business, don’t wait; after all, your followers are your best advocates.


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TORONTO (CP) -- The Toronto Star reports that General Motors of Canada Ltd. may soon reveal more new models for its flexible manufacturing plant in Oshawa.
However, union leaders say it won't take the focus off the fight to keep a nearby truck operation open.
The Canadian Auto Workers confirms the company and union have tentatively scheduled a meeting on Thursday to discuss the identity of future products and their starting dates at the plant.
GM and union officials would not comment on any new models, but industry sources told the Star GM plans to start assembling a luxury Cadillac car within the next few years and possibly an "extended version" of the hot-selling Chevrolet Malibu mid-size sedan by 2012.
The company will start building the Chevrolet Camaro sports car later this year but needs other models at the billion-dollar plant to make it efficient and profitable.
The new plant will have a capacity of more than 300,000 vehicles annually and the Camaro sales projections are in the 100,000 range.
Keith Osborne, plant chair for CAW Local 222 at GM's Oshawa complex, says any new cars won't satisfy the union if the company proceeds with closing of the truck operation.
GM announced earlier this month that it would cease production at the truck plant next year because soaring gasoline prices in recent months have driven pickup buyers to switch to more fuel-efficient cars. The truck plant employs 2,600 people.
The announcement came two weeks after workers ratified a new contract containing concessions in exchange for long-term product commitments depending on demand. The union charges that GM bargained in bad faith by getting the concessions and then pulling truck production permanently.


text: The Isley Brothers’ ‘Body Kiss’ gives the pair its first No. 1 on The Billboard 200 in nearly 30 years, selling slightly more than 150,000 copies in the U.S. during its first week at retail, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It’s the Isley’s first No. 1 on the main album chart album since 1975’s ‘The Heat Is On’. The pair topped Norah Jones, who sold 139,000 units of ‘Come Away With Me’.


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The big tech companies – predominantly Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon (GAFA) – have taken the western world by storm in the 21st century.
But none of these companies have officially entered the banking industry in the UK, although the door could be open in the future.
A global survey by MuleSoft found that more than half of 18- to 34-year-olds (52%) would consider using firms such as the GAFA companies for banking services due to the convenience and personalisation that they offer.
In addition, a report by management consultancy Bain & Company revealed that 65% of US-based Amazon Prime customers would be willing to sign up for a free online Amazon bank account which could offer 2% cash back on all purchases.
In light of this, Specialist Banking has asked leading industry figures whether banks should be concerned about the potential of the GAFA companies entering the banking sector.
Should banks be concerned about the prospect of big tech companies entering the industry?
“With the resources that big tech companies have at their disposal, we would be foolish to not consider them a threat,” said Paul Clark, CTO at Tandem.
“That being said, running a successful bank is more than just running a successful tech company.
“The tech giants have to worry about the oversight and regulation that they will be subject to.
“They may think twice about opening up their businesses to wider regulation by the PRA and FCA.”
Julian Sawyer, COO at Starling Bank, felt that the regulatory burden and complexities were too great for big tech companies to enter banking.
“Will GAFA create banks?
“No, I don’t think so.
“They thrive in a dynamic, unregulated environment and to be a bank would put severe constraints on their whole business.
“I do think they will partner – maybe with innovative challenger-type banks that align culturally – but with each party bringing something the other can’t.”
Mark Grainger, VP sales Europe at Engage Hub, commented that the big banks couldn’t rely on trust alone to keep their customers.
“They need to learn from other industries that have been similarly disrupted.
“We’ve seen big retailers struggle and even go into administration, unable to compete with the convenience and experience offered elsewhere.
“Fighting back is about more than creating a better online service or mobile app, but instead about better and more unified customer engagement through all channels, whether online, by voice or in person.”
Richard Skellett, chief executive officer at Allied Worldwide Ltd, claimed that many traditional banks worked with GAFA and some were very reliant on those same organisations.
“It’s interesting that unlike other areas when GAFA enter a market, where it’s almost a wrecking-ball approach.
“This time it’s much slower and that should be very worrying for banks.”
Alex Bray, assistant vice-president of consumer banking at Genpact, outlined a reason for concern from large incumbent banks was that customers were now adopting tech more readily.
“This is evidenced by the rapid growth of digital-only start-ups like Monzo, Starling, TransferWise and recently N26.”
Mark Aldred, banking specialist at Auriga, commented: “While consumers have had reason over the last decade to distrust banks, more recently they have a growing number of reasons to be wary of big techs, for example, rumours of ‘election rigging’, ‘fake news’, ‘tax efficiencies’ and so on.
“Banks might just be the more trusted, and the regulation that they are subject to might become their best friend as consumers choose who to trust with their money and their data.
“There is a growing call to see other organisations regulated within banking rather than just banks regulated, and this will create a level playing field and reduced risk of the kind of unfair competition that can occur when the internet takes on the high street.
“It may even see the big techs look elsewhere.”
How could it affect the specialist banking market?
“Specialised banks are not new; they are focused on one thing or one market and do it well,” Julian added.
“The world of being all things to all men is wrong and breeds inefficiency and poor customer value.
“Specialist banks that focus on one product, such as current accounts, or one sector, such as SME banking, will succeed as long as they focus and deliver on customer needs.
“GAFA could bring customers and might provide content and product for a marketplace, so distribution could move to them.
“But fulfilment will remain in the world of banking.”
Chris Beer, head of EMEA regulation at Excelian, Luxoft Financial Services, added: “We could see a proliferation of partnerships or buyouts between specialist banks and GAFA.
“Solo online banking apps have the client base, but lack the technological nous that Apple could provide, for example.”
Samantha Seaton, CEO at Moneyhub, said: “Those who are prepared to be agile, ‘fast followers’ will reap the rewards, and while inertia is often a significant hurdle, enlisting the expertise and insight of specialist fintechs can give them a huge boost.
“By cherry picking different capabilities to rapidly extend their offering and level the playing field, traditional banks can overcome the challenges of incumbency and learn to thrive in this new environment.”
Kyle Ferguson, CEO at Fraedom, felt that it was still unclear what impact the big tech players would have on the banking sector.
“…The pressure on challenger and specialist banks to deliver an improved service and provide a more technically advanced product range will increase.
“Those banks that build up a network of trusted and effective fintechs can limit the impact of these big tech companies.”
However, Arnold Koudijs, bank industry expert at Pegasystems, believed the banks shouldn’t be underestimated.
“They have experienced similar threats from fintechs before and many are coming through gloriously.
“Their play is to use technology to become much more highly relevant to customers, while also addressing the ever-changing complexity of regulatory requirements.
“This has helped to withstand fintech threats, but more importantly enable banks to absorb and leverage fintech innovations on their own terms.
“We expect positive collaboration, not conflict, to be the outcome of big tech edging into retail banking.”
Temenos partners with ClearBank for cloud payments
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Gilli Rozynek was indifferent when a social media intern with her quick-service charcuterie company, Kured, suggested they start a TikTok account. Unlike most of her friends and family, Rozynek wasn’t an active user of the app. She hoped it might generate some foot traffic, so she gave the intern the green light, but she didn’t expect it to make or break her business. Then the likes started rolling in.
“The day we posted the TikTok, it had around 800 likes by the end of the work day,” says Rozynek. “One of our interns said that was pretty good, and I didn’t think twice about it. Over the course of the night, though, the TikTok climbed to 2,000, 5,000, and eventually 10,000 likes by the time I went to bed. We were texting back and forth just watching it climb.”
The TikTok had an astounding 60,000 likes by the time Rozynek woke up the next morning. Today, it’s been liked 78,000 times and has amassed nearly 650,000 views. The video is simple enough: It depicts a pair of hands dressed in blue nitrile gloves placing various cured meats and cheeses into a to-go box while Weezer’s “Island in the Sun” plays in the background.
The next day, the Kured storefront at 83 Charles St. in Boston’s Beacon Hill had hundreds of people swarming the shop. The TikTok went live on a Thursday, and that Saturday Kured received so many orders — a record number, in fact — that Rozynek had to shut the shop down early. It turns out that a combination of meat, cheese, and visions of vacation is the blueprint for social media success.
Rozynek initially launched Kured when she was participating in a start-up accelerator program at Boston College. It started off as a delivery-only business on Cape Cod and in Greater Boston but blossomed into a brick-and-mortar space on Beacon Hill in June 2021. Eaters can order online or in person, choosing from a number of charcuterie cones (pictured in the image above) and boxes (which start at $18 and go up to $43), as well as sandwiches and house-made pickles.
Rozynek — who refers to her business as Sweetgreen or Chipotle for charcuterie — says she got the idea for Kured when she was living abroad in Madrid.
“I noticed how popular charcuterie was, not only in Spain, but across the whole continent of Europe,” she says. “I got to learn a lot about charcuterie while I was there since it’s so ingrained in the culture. But more than the actual product itself, I really liked what it facilitated: It brought people together on a daily basis and powered real conversation.”
Just several years later, Rozynek is trying to provide Bostonians with that very same experience. Head to Charles Street for a cone (or a small box, or a big box) of meat, cheese, and pickles. The only thing missing: an island in the sun.


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New York considering bottle bill expansion
By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling
Lawmakers in New York are considering an expansion of the Empire State's "bigger better bottle bill" to make it bigger and better.
According to WYSR-TV , the legislation being considered would expand the state's container deposit law to include all flavored water, as well as iced teas, energy drinks, sports beverages and any juice drinks containing up to 70 percent juice. New York's original bottle bill, first implemented in 1983, covered beer, wine coolers and soda. In 2009, it was expanded to encompass water bottles.
The news station cites Laura Haight, senior environmental associate with the New York Public Interest Research Group, stating that the proposed expansion could increase the number of returnable bottles by 15 percent.
According to The Buffalo News , the expansion provision is contained in a budget in the New York State Assembly. The expansion, according to the paper, would generate $5 million annually for the state's Environmental Protection Fund.
On March 11, the state Assembly passed a budget that contained the expansion.


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The Twin Cities will soon be runnin' on Dunkin'.
The first metro-area Dunkin' Donuts restaurant is slated to open by the end of the year, the Canton, Massachusetts-based coffee and doughnut chain announced Thursday.
It's one of 10 restaurants planned for the west metro after the company inked a deal with a new franchise group, Legacy Concepts, LLC.
"We are excited to expand the brand's presence in Minnesota and play an important role in the daily lives of people who live, work and visit here," Damon Dranchak of Legacy Concepts said in the release. "We have a passion and loyalty for the Dunkin' Donuts brand and look forward to opening our restaurants in the years to come."
Dunkin' Donuts left the Minnesota market in 2005, but returned last summer with a location at the Kahler Grand Hotel in Rochester.
Several more outlets are planned for northern Minnesota and western Wisconsin over the next few years. The fist shop – located near the Miller Hill Mall in Duluth – hopes to open in the late spring, the Duluth News Tribune reported.
Construction began on the doughnut shop last month, Northland's NewsCenter said.
Dunkin' Donuts announced in January that it would consider getting into the Twin Cities market, and earlier this month the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal reported an unknown franchisee was scouting possible locations throughout the metro area.
The company hopes to compete with Caribou Coffee, Dunn Brothers and McDonalds, the Business Journal noted.
The news was welcomed by some Minnesotans, while others weren't so excited.


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Reggie confident in Wii U’s power, but HD alone is “not enough”
Interviewed at CES, Reggie spoke a little on the philosophy behind the Wii U. He’s confident that the console has the graphical prowess to hold its own against its future competitors, but really wants to focus on creating new experiences with the touchscreen controller.
The big innovation with the Wii U is the controller and the ability to have an interactive experience that leverages all of your traditional input buttons as well as a screen built right into the controller. Yes, the system is HD capable; it’ll generate the most gorgeous pictures. But for us that’s not enough.
We need to continue pushing the overall experience forward. We need to bring new types of entertainment. New types of gaming and the combination of a big first screen — your home TV — coupled with a second screen in your hands, in our view, is going to bring gaming to a whole new experience and to continue driving the industry.
Finally, Reggie boldly claimed that “[the] system is capable to do the most complicated, the most HD-intensive types of games.” What he’s trying to say, I think, is that the Wii U has sufficient horsepower to let developers focus on nurturing new ideas instead of fighting a bloody battle for every last frame.
We can deliver all the latest Wii U news straight to your inbox every morning. Want in?


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Bloomingdale's Aventura & Miami at the Falls and Blue Martini of Brickell Partner This Season for the Launch of Scent-sational
Nestled in the growing, financial district of downtown Miami, Blue Martini Lounge of Brickell is kicking off their famed Girl's Night Out every Wednesday night with Bloomingdale's Aventura & Miami at The Falls starting Wednesday, November 13th and running for six weeks. Spanning twelve locations across the nation, Blue Martini is well known for live, musical entertainment and a wide variety of cocktails and menu items, featuring over 40 specialty martinis. Not to mention an extensive lineup of weekly parties
and over-the-top annual events, which have captured the attention of tens of thousands of partygoers throughout the years.
For some women, keeping up with the latest fashion styles and how to pull them off may be tough; fashion trends come and go, and beauty trends fade in and out. But one thing that is always in style is spending quality time with gal pals. The Scent-sational series of events is designed for women and their fierce and fabulous entourages to discover designer products and sample luxury brands, while enjoying a night out in the city. This winter season, Bloomingdale's will showcase a variety of cosmetics beauty sets and designer fragrance gift sets valued at over $300.00 every Wednesday. "This partnership between the upscale department store and the popular establishment is a unique way to reach thousands of women, while aligning with fashion savvy brands through experiential event marketing," says Allison Seriani of Prime Entertainment Public Relations.
Ladies will have a chance to win the featured gift of the week by participating in a designer draw. Upon entrance into Blue Martini Brickell, all ladies 21 years and older, will receive complimentary champagne along with a free ticket for the designer draw. Then
they will top off the night by being pampered with free gifts and cocktails. Winners will be announced at midnight and featured on social media platforms including Blue Martini's Official Facebook pages, which engage more than 30,000+ active fans and serve as a resource for consumers. "We are excited to partner with Blue Martini to highlight Bloomingdale's selection of fabulous cosmetics and fragrance lines available at all our South Florida locations," adds Megan Connelly, Public Relations Manager of
Bloomingdale's Aventura and Miami at The Falls.


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The #1 Electric Van For Glamping? — Mercedes Promises New Electric Camper Vans In Their Plans For The US Market
Mercedes-Benz’s VAN.EA system could be the most innovative addition to the electric van industry that we’ve seen so far.
Over the past few decades, glamping has gradually gone from being the unserious secret of the RV industry to now being a popular and profitable endeavor. Industry veteran Mercedes is looking to thoroughly capitalize on this popularity — having recently revealed their new electric camper van plans for the near future.
Those of us that are familiar with the industry may already be aware of the prominence that Mercedes-Benz already has in the electric RV industry, having already sold over 40,000 electric vans globally.
The German automaker has launched fully electric vehicles in a wide variety of sectors (not just vans) — including small, midsize, and large electric vans in Europe and Asia, as well as the fully electric eSprinter in the North American market.
Sources in the automaker’s van division have revealed that the department isn’t slowing down and is aiming to have electric vans account for at least 20 percent of its sales by 2026. In addition to this, the department’s ultimate goal by the end of the decade is to have more than 50 percent of its sales be attributed to electric vans by 2030.
Fear not, the team at Mercedes-Benz Vans doesn’t just hope to achieve this with dreams and wishes, the second part of their reveal was dedicated to the tools that they intend to use to kickstart their plans — their ‘Vans Electric Architecture’ (VAN.EA).
“As the leader of the premium van segment, it is our goal to offer our customers the most desirable vans and services. Today, we offer exceptional technology, outstanding reliability, and tailored solutions for customers across profitable markets and industries. And with VAN.EA, our new purpose-built electric architecture, we’re setting the course to lead the light commercial vehicle industry in electric drive and digital experience.”
—Mathias Geisen, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans
Mercedes’ Future Electric Van Plans: What Can We Expect To See From VAN.EA?
According to sources at Mercedes-Benz, the ‘Vans Electric Architecture’ will serve as the foundation for their expansion into the electric van industry for the foreseeable future (at the very least up until 2030).
The VAN.EA is expected to shift a greater focus to efficiency and performance, while also reducing overall costs and improving range… which has always been one of the biggest hurdles for electric vans.
The automaker’s new electric van architecture is said to highlight and optimize four critical (and fundamental) aspects of their electric vans — chassis, aerodynamics, tires, and drivetrain.
“Starting 2026, we will introduce our purpose-built EV architecture VAN.EA. This enables us to consolidate our midsize and large vans down to only one architecture and significantly reduce the complexity of our product portfolio. Maximum added value for customers with sustainable profitability at the same time: VAN.EA clearly underscores our aspiration to be ‘Lead in Electric’.”
—Mathias Geisen, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans
The sustainability and streamlining that Geisen and his team have been mentioning is showcased primarily in the scalable nature of their ‘Vans Electric Architecture’. As a whole, the VAN.EA system consists of three modules; the front module, the center module, and the rear module.
The front module — which consists of the electric powertrain and front axle — can be viewed as the stable foundation of the automaker’s VAN.EA system, since it is designed to remain unchanged across all variants that are built on the architecture.
The center module — which will contain the standardized battery case — will be largely responsible for determining the length of the van.
The rear module will have two distinct options that will be based on if the van is an all-wheel-drive (AWD) variant or a front-wheel-drive (FWD) variant. Front-wheel-drive variants will have a rear module that does not contain an electric motor; however, all-wheel-drive variants will have an eclectic motor in the rear module.
Will It Be Worth It?
Today, Europe stands prominently as Mercedes-Benz Vans’ strongest and most profitable market, with approximately 60% share of total sales worldwide. They have however made it clear that the department plans to “further profitable growth in its most important regions”, starting with the North American market.
With how popular electric vans have become in the United States — both for purchase and for rental — this course of action from the German automaker definitely seems like a no-brainer.
Nevertheless, only time will tell if their upcoming VAN.EA system will prove to be a successful endeavor.


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American Apparel files for bankruptcy
American Apparel hopes to become a “stronger, more vibrant company”, despite filing for bankruptcy protection on Monday (05Oct15).
The retail chain has requested bankruptcy protection, reports the New York Times. It hopes by doing so, it will allow the brand to keep its 130 US stores open and continue manufacturing in the country while its debts are exchanged for shares by the business’ creditors.
“This restructuring will enable American Apparel to become a stronger, more vibrant company," CEO Paula Schneider said in a statement, via NYMag. "By improving our financial footing, we will be able to refocus our business efforts on the execution of our turnaround strategy as we look to create new and relevant products, launch new design and merchandising initiatives, invest in new stores, grow our e-commerce business, and create captivating new marketing campaigns that will help drive our business forward.”
This is despite the fact that the company has built up massive debts recently, losing $340 million in the last five years. In 2015 the business lost an additional $45 million, with sales dropping by 17 per cent in the second quarter compared to last year.
If the court approves the brand’s request, which had been rumoured for months, creditors will take full control and push out current shareholders. This includes founder Dov Charney, who was ousted from his position in June 2014 and replaced by Paula.
While no business wants to file for bankruptcy, by doing so, American Apparel will have the various lawsuits brought against them – many of which involve Dov– put on hold.
The court documents did not mention any redundancies at this stage.


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A lot of folks, including yours truly, are eagerly awaiting the wave of iPad killers due to arrive early next year. Interestingly, though, it looks like Apple may number among those wishing to outdo the original. DigiTimes has word that the Mac maker is already prepping its second-generation slate for a release next quarter.
Citing anonymous industry sources as always, DigiTimes adds that Apple has already selected its suppliers for the "iPad 2." Ibiden, Tripod Technology, and TTM Technologies will reportedly manufacture the first wave of second-gen iPad circuit boards, with the latter two set to produce "small quantities" of boards next month. Apple should add an extra four suppliers in February.
I guess we shouldn't be too surprised, considering the first iPad debuted in April of this year, and Apple likes to refresh its iPods and iPhones yearly. The real question now is what will differentiate the second-gen unit from its predecessor. With iOS 4.2 just around the corner, a major new iOS release seems unlikely. However, Apple could beef up the device's RAM and implement a higher-density display. The current iPad looks a little old-fashioned next to the iPhone 4, which has twice the RAM and much more pixels per square inch.
|UDPATED: Microsoft shows Windows 10, preps public preview build for tomorrow||46|
|Windows 9 is actually called... Windows 10||71|
|Doom looks awesome in the Lego universe||7|
|Project Ara phones with hot-swap modules launching in early 2015||3|
|HP's new Intel-powered Win8.1 tablet costs $99||10|
|Hynix slides tease vertically stacked memory with 256GB/s of bandwidth||29|
|Catalyst 14.9 drivers improve performance, CrossFire scaling||43|
|Photoshop heading to Chromebooks—in streaming form||18|


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Aldi stocks Welsh Lamb in 29 stores in Wales
Aldi has become the latest food retailer to stock Welsh Lamb.
The supermarket chain has introduced a range of branded products in 29 stores in south and west Wales.
Aldi will be stocking five Welsh Lamb cuts – leg steaks, lamb chops, half leg of lamb, lamb breast joint and shoulder joint.
In the past year the volume of lamb sold by Aldi increased by nearly 14% and the retailer is seen an an increasingly important outlet for fresh produce.
Its Welsh Lamb range was formally launched in Cardiff this morning by Lesley Griffiths, the Welsh Government’s cabinet secretary for environment and rural... read more
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Here's the beef: St. Landry cattle industry celebrates with cookoff
The strength of the Acadiana-area cattle industry was apparent on Saturday as the cowboy-style event was celebrated by hundreds who walked the dusty floor of the St. Landry Parish Ag Arena attired appropriately in Stetson-style headwear, jeans and boots.
Parking spaces filled primarily with large pickup trucks and horse trailers at arena west of Opelousas made vehicle access difficult throughout the day for the 37th annual Here’s The Beef Cookoff, featuring chefs serving up meat-cooked dishes to annually celebrate the cattle industry in St. Landry and adjacent parishes.
Members of the St. Landry Cattleman’s Association, which sponsored the event, said the expansive crowd that had difficulty maneuvering through the Ag Arena pavilion area was probably the largest cookoff attendance in many years.
Daniel Lyons, Beef Cookoff chairman, estimated that over eight hours Saturday, about a thousand people participated in the culinary event.
Magnalite and black pots in addition to bar-b-que pits began firing up beef delicacies such as roasts, brisket, prime rib, hamburger steaks and tongue early in the morning while about 125 others saddled up and left the arena grounds of horseback for four hours on an extended ride throughout areas of rural St. Landry.
By early afternoon those cooking beef dishes were scrambling to replenish their free samples in time for the judging, but the crowd remained vibrant, as a band featuring Cajun fiddlers as well as other musical instruments played for those dancing versions of the two-step on the pavilion’s dirt floor.
“What better way to taste what the beef industry has to offer than to pay $10 per family and get all the free samples of food that you want,” said Stuart Gardner, a St. Landry cattle rancher who operates a 65-acre farm in the Cankton area.
The event also celebrates the industry with the preparation of the beef dishes with a judging contest and an awards ceremony.
“This year we had about 100 different entries in the cooking contests. We decided that we were going to start working hard promoting the industry by publicizing this event through social media. The turnout that we had is proof of that,” said Gardner, who is also employed as a rangeland management specialist by the Natural Resources and Conservation Service.
Political candidates, supermarkets, small groceries and individual chefs served up beef dishes that dripped with gravy and served over rice and mashed potatoes.
Other chefs like Opelousas resident Toby Venable, decided to treat the event as a social affair.
“A bunch of friends got together and we took out a cooking booth and we gave out a lot of different things,” said Venable.
Venable said his beef brisket, which won a second place in last year’s judging, was again a favorite on Saturday.
“People were taking samples of the brisket as fast as I could cut it,” said Venable.
Venable and the others in his entourage cooked other meat items such as chuck steak in gravy, lasagna, stuffed meat loaf and beef fajitas.
Lyons said the contest featured six categories that ranged from gourmet, brisket, tongue, ground meat, rice and gravy, and a miscellaneous category that included ribs and kidney.
One of the more exotic meat delicacies that was declared a gourmet winner, Lyons said, was what he called a tomahawk. “It was a ribeye that was attached to the ribs. I had never seen that one before,” said Lyons.
Gardner cited LSU Agricultural Center figures which show that St. Landry Parish produces about 12,900 head of cattle yearly from approximately 500 producers.
According to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Louisiana annually produces 554,000 head of cattle from 11,600 farmers.
“Right now I would say the cattle industry production in this area is pretty steady. In Louisiana cattlemen produce more than the natural average. Prices for cattle are relatively stable right now,” Gardner said.
Gardner said currently most of the money for cattle production both statewide and nationally doesn’t reach the pockets of the producers.
“The ones who make the money are the feeders, the packers and the retailers,” said Gardner who produces grass fed cattle for the market.
Although marketplace shoppers are still attracted to purchasing beef products, Gardner said the prices for pork and chicken are cheaper, leading to consumer competition at the meat section, Gardner said.
Lyons said beef is naturally more expensive at the meat counters.
“At the retail level, it is more expensive, since cattle are bigger and it takes more money to feed them. It also takes more to get cattle to market and then slaughter them in order to make them available for market,” Lyons said.


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Twitter’s CEO said ‘I believe this is for the best’ and that the company will remain open to Musk’s input as a shareholder.
Elon Musk is no longer joining Twitter’s board of directors, the company’s CEO said in a message to its staff.
Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal shared a memo on the social media platform today (11 April), where he said the board had been “excited to collaborate” with Musk and “clear about the risks”.
When Agrawal initially shared the plans of Musk joining Twitter’s board last week, he said conversations made it “clear to us that he would bring great value to our board”.
The discussions around Musk joining the board followed the news that the Tesla boss had bought a 9.2pc stake in the company, making him one of Twitter’s biggest shareholders.
In his statement today, Agrawal said Musk was going to be officially accepted onto the board on 9 April, but Musk “shared that same morning that he will no longer be joining the board”.
“I believe this is for the best.” Agrawal added in the memo. “We have and will always value input from our shareholders whether they are on our board or not. Elon is our biggest shareholder and we will remain open to his input.”
There is speculation around why Musk is no longer joining Twitter’s board. According to a document shared by Axios, Musk would have been limited to a maximum stake of 14.9pc in the company if he became a board member.
Musk has also been critical of Twitter in recent weeks and shared a poll yesterday on whether the company’s San Francisco headquarters should be turned into a homeless shelter “since no one shows up anyway”. Musk has since deleted the tweet.
On the same day, Musk suggested that all Twitter Blue subscribers should get an authentication mark and said the service should be free of advertisements. These tweets have also been deleted.
The day before, Musk shared a list of the most-followed Twitter accounts and said most “tweet rarely and post very little content”. He followed up with the question, “Is Twitter dying?”
Most of these “top” accounts tweet rarely and post very little content.
Is Twitter dying? https://t.co/lj9rRXfDHE
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 9, 2022
Musk has more than 80m followers on Twitter and regularly takes to the platform to make company announcements, such as Tesla’s move away from bitcoin and its move to Texas.
However, some of his tweets have also gotten him into hot water.
In 2018, Musk tweeted that there was “funding secured” to take Tesla private at $420 a share, but the SEC found his series of tweets to be “false and misleading”. This led to a settlement, fines and Musk stepping down as chair of the company.
On 5 April, the Tesla boss posted a Twitter poll asking his followers if the platform should introduce an edit button. The next day, Twitter confirmed that it is working on the long-awaited feature, but said it didn’t get the idea from Musk’s poll.
Elon Musk at Web Summit 2013. Image: Dan Taylor/Heisenberg Media via Flickr (CC by 2.0)
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CEO & Thyme Traveler
The Spice Guy
Industry: Food & Beverage
Zach Johnstons recipe for success in the food and beverage industry includes a few key ingredients: a dream, passion and spice. Lots of spice.
Johnston, CEO, The Spice Guy, started his company in 2013, investing his last $54.00. Five years later, The Spice Guy had become a nationally renowned food service brand, bringing in seven figures a year. Johnston said that what started as an, “I bet you won’t” idea from his then boss and first client, Frank Michaud of Chimayo Grill, has since turned into a multi-faceted company innovating food service on many levels.
“We refuse to believe that the second oldest profession on earth, spice trading, has been exhausted of all new ideas,” Johnston said. “With technology and willingness we believe we are changing the way people consume, purchase and think about spices."
Johnston is considered a titan in his industry due to his willingness to be the catalyst of change for the betterment of the environment, employee and customer well-being. Constantly developing new industry ideas, The Spice Guy was the first brand in Colorado to make the switch to 100% compostable packaging. What started off as such a small company now operates nationally with two production facilities and services USA coast to coast.
“The Spice Guy is seeing tech company growth while selling a physical product,” Johnston said. “The curve is steep and the ceiling is still very far away.” But the future is at his fingertips.
“We see The Spice Guy running 100% on solar power and we will have developed proprietary apps for customers to place purchase orders and communicate with us,” Johnston said. “We are producing less than 1 ton of non-compostable waste a year and moving into an all-electric fleet of vehicles. If growth were to continue at the same clip, TSG would be hitting revenues of over 14 million dollars. All employees will continue to have health benefits provided by the company and the 401k program is fully finished and employees will have profit sharing in the company.”
Johnston, a 2018 regional winner of Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of The Year was also named one of the Top 5 Food Innovators in Colorado by Denver Life magazine. The Spice Guy was a winner for Colorado Companies to Watch in 2019. And with such notoriety, it is no surprise that Johnston plans to keep his position as a leader. He said that he plans to keep The Spice Guy influential by implementing more ways to be as environmentally friendly as possible.
“More composting, more upcycling, more renewable energy in our plants and vehicles,” Johnston said. “Our mark will be made with a statement, not a footprint.”
And in the food and beverage industry, change is always welcome. After all, variety is the spice of life.
For his willingness to be the catalyst of change for the betterment of the environment, employee and customer well-being, Johnston has been named a Titan of industry.
Greatest Leadership Lesson
The hard choice
the fastest nor
the lion is still
the king of
In a previous life Zach was a professional snowboarder. He now goes by the moniker, Thyme Traveler because he constantly travels to all the regions of the world to look at the spices, see how and where they are grown, embrace the culture and ultimately bring the best products in the world to restaurants all over the country.


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Reposted from syracuse.com, by Rick Moriarty, May 6, 2013
The U.S. Small Business Administration has selected Louis DeMent, CEO of Giovanni Food Co., as the New York state winner of the 2013 Small Business Person of the Year Award.
DeMent was chosen for the award based on Giovanni’s growth in sales and employees, staying power, response to adversity and its charitable contributions, the SBA said.
He received the award at the SBA’s annual awards luncheon today at The Doubletree Hotel in DeWitt.
Giovanni has been making pasta sauces since 1934, when the DeMent family opened their Italian-style restaurant in Oswego. The DeMents started making sauces on a larger scale in the 1950s before expanding into other tomato-based product lines.
Second-generation owner Jack DeMent led the transition to a larger facility in Liverpool in 2006. Within a year, Jack DeMent died unexpectedly and his 34-year-old son Louis stepped forward to lead the family business.
The company opened a production plant in DeWitt in 2009.
Giovanni’s products are now sold in grocery and specialty stores across the country. Under Louis DeMent’s leadership, sales have increased 49 percent over the past three years and the number of employees has grown to 68, the SBA said.
DeMent will compete for the national award at the SBA’s National Small Business Week celebration on June 21 in Washington, D.C.
Also at the ceremony today, SonicBrite, Inc., a dental product distributor in Liverpool, received the SBA Syracuse District’s 2013 Small Business Exporter of the Year Award. It was selected for its growth in sales due to increased exporting and creative overseas marketing efforts, the SBA said.
Matthew Turcotte received the SBA Syracuse District’s 2013 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He was chosen for the increase in sales and profits at his company, North Shore Solutions and for demonstrating long-term potential as a successful business owner, the SBA said. The company has offices in Potsdam and Clayton.
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